iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 01/05/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Bonus Days :) I realized that there were a few variables I had not pulled for charts from @boardgamegeek.com A #dataviz of standard deviations within games, and one of recommended age Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 30/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 30 - Global Health Data Exchange Shortly after the pandemic, there was a survey around disruptions to learning during the pandemic. While one may think that the divide was country-based, the urban/rural split was worse. #dataviz code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 29/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 29 - Monochrome @boardgamegeek.com users are polled on what the ideal number of players are for different games. This #dataviz shows results, with some solo gamers popping in for certain games (and a lot of 3-4 player games). Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 28/04/2026

I think the first time I really sensed the power of a #dataviz was when I visited The Morgan Library, saw something that looked like a circle with dots on either side of them... and realized it was Galileo Galilei's observations of Jupiter. A piece of paper that literally changed our worldview.

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 28/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 28 - Modeling It is possible to show the Bayesian model #dataviz that undergirds @boardgamegeek.com ratings. Each line represents the average of user ratings while it amasses more votes. One game is on track to eventual #1! Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 27/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 27 - Animation This bar chart #dataviz gets built year by year of mechanics in @boardgamegeek.com games, showing the increase of mechanics like Solo games over recent years. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 26/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 26 - Trend One would think that kickstarter/COVID would be drivers of solo options and mechanics being an increasing part of @boardgamegeek.com games, but it seems as if it has been a slow increase even before then Code for #dataviz in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 25/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 25 - Space Maybe taking a bit literally, but this #dataviz shows the history of @boardgamegeek.com science fiction/space board games, by year published and rating. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel... Help from Claude in creating the starry backdrop

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 24/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 24 - South China Morning Post Inspired by a #dataviz on languages of the world, explored making a Voronoi Tree Cluster for the popularity of top board games, colored by sub category. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 23/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 23 - Seasons When does one play the most @boardgamegeek.com games? I have logged my own plays in the portal for the past few years, so this radial #dataviz shows that I play a bit more in the winter, a bit less in the summer. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 22/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 22 - New Tool This violin #dataviz shows the variation between categories in score (top) and ownership (bottom) of @boardgamegeek.com games. The simplicity of abstract games seems to lower the rating, but increase the ownership. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 21/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 21 - Historical The 'ancient' and 'historical' families allow one to see what time periods @boardgamegeek.com games are set in. This treemap #dataviz separates those out by time period and setting. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 20/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 20 - Global Change How has the prevalence of mechanics in @boardgamegeek.com games changed over time? Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 19/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 19 - Evolution As the marketplace decides which games should be created, how have @boardgamegeek.com games 'evolved' over time to survive in an increasingly saturated market? Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 18/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 18 - UNICEF Many of the UNICEF datasets are good for not only outlining important factors but also the limits of knowledge in areas of the world. A double plot of child mortality and uncertainty based on the bounds published. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 18/04/2026

#DuBoisChallenge2026 - Week 10, showing the proportion of Black Americans in a growing population through Reconstruction Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 17/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 17 - Remake A chart I didn't remake for last year's challenge was the Gapminder dataset. Inspired by the original from Hans Rosling, this remake uses @boardgamegeek.com data to show ratings of board games over time. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 16/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 16 - Causation A forest plot is typically used for meta-analyses to show effects across studies. Here, it shows the difference in rating for @boardgamegeek.com games with (treatment) and without (control) a mechanism. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 15/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 15 - Correlation Some talk about the Cult of the New on @boardgamegeek.com, where something is highly rated just because it is fresh. This has necessitated the use of an alternate rating system based on Bayesian methods. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 14/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 14 - Trade Who do @boardgamegeek.com board game designers trade knowledge with in building top games? This sociogram demonstrates that there are many duads and triads, plus a few more extended networks. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 13/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 13 - Ecosystems Flow diagrams are common tools in ecosystem dynamics to show classification dynamics in a system. This Sankey of @boardgamegeek.com games shows how different types of games show up in complexity tiers. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 12/04/2026

#DuBoisChallenge week 9 - a map comparing the population of Black Americans to the population of other countries, understanding the context of these plates at a World's Fair in Europe. Done in #rstats Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 12/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 12 - FlowingData Inspired by the tutorial on gradient ridgelines (flowingdata.com/2025/01/14/d...), this ridgeline shows the comparative ratings (and skew) of @boardgamegeek.com board games across categories. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 11/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 11 - Physical @boardgamegeek.com games come in various shapes and sizes. Are more complex games necessarily in physically bigger boxes? Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 10/04/2026

Reposted image here. Dune was in the original, but Lord of the Rings was caught in an "authors" tag and not book or movie. Thank you @anthonyglinoer.bsky.social for seeing the mistake!

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 10/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 10 - Pop Culture Oftentimes, Pop Culture Franchises find their way into @boardgamegeek.com games, either as reskins or with the theme in mind in the beginning. But which franchises are most popular? Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

Bar Graph showing Pop Culture Franchises in top 1,000 games

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 09/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 9 - Wealth A Lorenz Curve is a way of showing income equality through by graphing cumulative percentages of total income against population. For @boardgamegeek.com data, the curve demonstrates 'board game inequity'. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 08/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 8 - Circular This chord diagram shows the relationships between board game mechanics among the top 500 games, showing how many mechanics actually work with each other, with some exceptions (no worker placement/cooperate? hmmm...) Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 07/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 7 - Multiscale Looking at @boardgamegeek.com Board Games using two scales - the ranking within their category, and the ranking overall. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 06/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 6 - Reporters without Borders One would imagine that the safety score and political context score are well correlated - but there are interesting exceptions in both directions. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 05/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 5 - experimental I have always loved Florence Nightingale's rose diagram, doubly so since reading @infowetrust.com 's book. This diagram shows all ranked games within each category of @boardgamegeek.com, as well as top 500 & 100. Done in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 05/04/2026

#DuBoisChallenge2026 week 8 - Du Bois showing the ways in which Black Americans were concentrated in the South during the Reconstruction. Done in #rstats Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 04/04/2026

Catching up on #DuBoisChallenge2026 from @datavizsociety.bsky.social (Week 7). It is interesting how this is an introduction and plea for continued work at the university in both English and French. Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 04/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 4 - slope @boardgamegeek.com employs a Bayesian average, not a true average, in deciding ranks. This slope chart comparing average and bayesian average shows how games with more ratings don't change as much. Done with #rstats

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 03/04/2026

#30DayChartChallenge Day 3 - Mosaic Plot, done in #rstats For the top 1,000 board games ranked on @boardgamegeek.com, how prevalent are different categories by their publication date? You can see war games lessening over time, and family/strategy games increasing over time.

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 02/04/2026

Day 2 of #30DayChartChallenge - Pictograms Still using @boardgamegeek.com data, this shows the prevalence of different types of games in the top 100, ordered by rank - only one party game! All done in #rstats (working on cleaning up my repo to post code soon)

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 01/04/2026

For last year's #30DayChartChallenge, I had just finished reading @datavisfriendly.bsky.social's book and used his great historical data package. This year, I'll be focusing on APIs by exploring @boardgamegeek.com First day, done in #rstats. Part-to-whole - mechanics of the top 500 games

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 22/03/2026

#DuBoisChallenge2026 - took @datavisfriendly.bsky.social's advice and did two recreations of Du Bois' plate showing land ownership by Black Georgians. An original, and one showing the general increase in percentage of land ownership in certain areas Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 15/03/2026

#DuBoisChallenge2026 - Week 5. Recreating Du Bois' map of the emigration and immigration of Black Georgians during years of Reconstruction requires using 'sf' in #rstats to make lines from the centroids of Georgia to each state, masked by the state's outline. Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 02/03/2026

#DuBoisChallenge2026 Week 4 - A comparison of black populations in Georgia in 1870 and 1880, showing some migration over 10 years during later Reconstruction. Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 24/02/2026

#DuBoisChallenge2026 Week 3 - just a nice little population map, done in #rstats Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 16/02/2026

#DuBoisChallenge Week 2! I'll admit, I love the projection that Du Bois uses more than mine, but when I changed it on my map, my legend got distorted (maybe a job for the 'patchwork' package). Hatching to recreate the original work done using ggpattern Code in #rstats: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 01/02/2026

Inspired working through @nrennie.bsky.social's book (Chapter 4 tomorrow at @dslc.io!), so I went back to the original dataset for another perspective #TidyTuesday #rstats This shows the change in Bee Colonies over a 5 year sample, where increases and decreases were both observed

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 09/10/2025

#TidyTuesday (2025 W40) Just love an excuse to do an animation... this map shows the location of Eurobasketball teams, with a gif highlighting the country of the team that won. #rstats Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 04/10/2025

#TidyTuesday (2025 W39) Used the ggmap package to make an inset for the graph, and noticed that there seems to be two seasons of observations. Fun dataset, I'm curious whether the increase in cranes is an observer effect, or an actual increase! #rstats Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 28/09/2025

#TidyTuesday (2025 W38) I had heard about the age effect in chess, and wanted to see it for myself - took the top 20 chess players at each age to show how chess, like other sports, very much peaks (also, there are some old chess players still around!) #rstats Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 20/09/2025

#TidyTuesday (2025 W37) Went into cleaning mode this week, filtering out common pantry ingredients and instructions to find the most common other calls for ingredients that are given. #rstats Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 11/09/2025

#TidyTuesday (2025 W36) The Henley Passport index is interesting because it allows ties, which was a nice challenge for a ranking plot using the ggflags package to see which passports allow one to travel to the most countries. #rstats Code: github.com/drjohnrussel...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 02/09/2025

#TidyTuesday (2025 W35) We often think of distributions among categories, but spatial and temporal distributions are also important for exploration. It's also interesting to think, as a citizen science project, about issues of selection bias. #rstats Code: drjohnrussell.com/posts/2025-0...

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John Russell @drjohnrussell.com · 30/08/2025

code is too short to make into a post, but can be found in this screenshot

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